


Tied up and sick

by BlooBlu



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Anxiety, Anxious Thoughts, Black Eye, Fluff, Insecure Logic | Logan Sanders, Jealousy, Logan will get better i swear, Logic | Logan Sanders Angst, Playing with a ladybug, Remus being gross as per usual, Remus will appear more, Self-Doubt, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Unsympathetic Deceit Sanders, Virgil sort of is in defcon 2 a lot, bad friend, general violence, mostly contained to (1) fistfight
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-01-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:20:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 6,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22212445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlooBlu/pseuds/BlooBlu
Summary: Everyone has a soulmate, and a lot of people have some sort of mark that makes it easier to find who they are. Not everybody meets theirs, however, and Roman is not happy about this.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil/Creativity | Roman/Logic | Logan/Morality | Patton, LAMP - Relationship
Comments: 32
Kudos: 89





	1. An introduction, but not the beginning: Roman

When you're sick, you go to a doctor, or someone else who can fix it. If your eyes don't work you see an optometrist; if your brain doesn't make the chemicals it's supposed to you see a therapist, or a pharmacist. But who do you go to when your _soul_ is broken?

Everyone has at least one soulmate, though not all soulmates are romantic. Everybody has someone, (or multiple someones) that you connect with in a way that you just don't with anyone else. A person who really _understands_ you and, by definition, cannot be any closer to you emotionally. It is a connection that everyone craves, and has been the subject of holidays and celebrations over almost every culture.

The honest, sad truth is that nearly 38% of people don't ever find their soulmate before they die, or don't get to meet them in person. Roman prays every day to any god listening that he does not end up as one of those people. It's humiliating in general to have to admit that he hasn't met his soulmate, when other teens are meeting theirs left and right, either online or at school or in their favorite cafes… he cringes every time he has to fill out a permission slip or medical form and check "not met" under the section soulmate(s) in the emergency contact list.

He knows that he _has_ a soulmate, 3 in fact. His mark is a little odd - 3 strings tied around the fingers on his left hand. A pale blue string around his thumb, purple around his pinkie, and a navy blue string around his ring finger. It was reassuring to know he at least _had_ soulmates, but whether or not he'd ever meet them was doubtful. What was odd was that they trailed up his arm and connected to his heart. Once he was old enough to understand what they really meant, he spent days searching online for similar marks; there was nothing. There were tons of results about strings that lead somewhere, or simply became invisible after a few feet, but none that were attached to somewhere else on the body. 

Well… he'd find out when he met them! There was no way he could have three whole soulmates and never meet _any_ of them! 

…Surely.


	2. Chapter 1: Logan

"Hey Logan, what do you think your soul mate's gonna look like? Do you wan' em to be a boy or a girl?"

"...I don't know. I'll like them no matter what, right? So what's it matter what they look like, or who they are at all?"

"I guess you're right. I kinda wish _you _were my soulmate, Lo."__

__Logan smiled. "Same-size."_ _

__"It's _samesies,_ you dork!"_ _

__"Oh, sorry Nathan!!"_ _

__"It's okay, I'll teach you all the words because you always teach me the maths. That's what friends do, right?" Nathan Parks held up his hand in a fist, with the pinkie extended._ _

__"Yeah!" Logan agreed to the 'pinkie promise' with zeal. Friends stick together and help each other, always._ _

__. . ._ _

__Logan wishes he didn't have a soulmate. Or at least that if he had to, it was Nathan. Because maybe, if they really _were_ soulmates, Nathan would love him. He would have to, because that's how soulmates work. But instead, he has to live with the bright green splotch taking up most of the left half of Nathan's face; the soul mark that Nathan had used to break Logan's heart._ _

__"Lo, if I really do have a soulmate out there that I'm supposed to meet and marry, I don't want to date anyone else! You wouldn't ask me to abandon my soulmate, right? You wouldn't ask to ruin our friendship for maybe a few years of teenage romance, right?"_ _

__"I… of course I wouldn't, Nathan! I- I would never… I'm sorry. It was insensitive of me to ask."_ _

__"Yes it was, but I forgive you. Because we're friends, remember? So let's forget that stupid fall dance and go hang out at the park, okay?"_ _

__"Yeah…"_ _

__Maybe if Nathan was his soulmate, and not three strangers he might never meet, Nathan would love him. It's nice to pretend, sometimes, so Logan starts stealing his mother's makeup to messily cover the three plain tattoos on his chest: a cartoon heart, a storm cloud, and a shield - all about 3 inches long, and 3 inches wide. Maybe if…_ _


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patton's turn!

Patton is happy. He's only 14 and he's already found one of his soulmates!! Virgil is so- so- he's the love of his life!!! 

When Patton hadn't met any of his soulmates at school for his first semester, he figured that he wouldn't meet them in school, or maybe they would bump into each other during a football game between their two schools.

But nope! Second semester, Patton's English teacher announced that a new student was coming to their class, and in came Vee! He'd seemed pretty nervous about having to introduce himself in front of everybody, and Patton knew immediately they had to be friends. It seemed as if the universe agreed too, because Virgil was told to sit right behind him!

As the new kid had shuffled past, though, Patton felt something… tingly and warm all along his arm where they'd brushed together. He glanced down to where, a moment previous, there had been a long and pitch black smudge over his elbow and forearm; it was now a vivid shade of purple, bright and beautiful like a lavender bush.

Patton's face lit up like a thousand Christmas lights, smiling so hard it hurt. 

"You're my soulmate!!!!" 

. . . 

Mrs. Reeves had allowed them to go sit in the hall for a few minutes so they 'could have some time alone' but Virgil said she just didn't want them to disrupt class. It didn't really matter though, because when they got out in the hall Virgil was looking left and right, looking lost. 

"I… I thought these walls were like, dark grey a minute ago…?"

"Nope, they've been baby blue for as long as I can remember! I think some classes have grey paint but- oh! Oh oh oh is that your soulmark?! Colors??" 

"I… guess so. Your eyes are blue, too- like the sky. Maybe…" Virgil pulled out his phone, with a cherry red case. (They aren't supposed to have them out of their backpacks, though!-) 

"Huh. Guess I still have more soulmates. My mom says the case isn't grey." 

"Yeah, I have more soulmates too!! This is so cool, everyone I know only has one, or sometimes two-" 

"Do you uhm.. wanna hangout after school? I get the feeling there's a lot you wanna say but I don't think we should skip the whole hour…" 

"Oh, of course, of course! And during lunch, too, if you want - I'll try to spot you in the cafeteria, yeah?"

"Sure, uh… did you say your name earlier? I'm sorry I'm really bad at remembering-"

"Patton! My name's Patton!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't noticed, Patton has a tiny habit of repeating things/shouting them.
> 
> This will not be changing any time soon.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil's feelings on the matter

Having a soulmate is… weird. Like, everything he's heard about soulmates is suddenly so obvious and he finally understands, but up until a few weeks ago Virgil had convinced himself that it was all cliche bullshit.

But looking at Patton really _does_ make the whole world around him feel more saturated and colorful. He'd always hated seeing the sky because 9 times out of 10 he just couldn't see it the same way as everyone else did - but now laying in the grass with _his fucking soulmate oh my god-_ and staring at the bright blue surrounding him is one of his favorite activities.

Virgil remembers staying in his room and closing the blinds because all he could see from his second story view was a brick wall. No trees or even open fields, just the building next to his apartments. Now he leaves it open- flyscreen long cut open- and sits on the sill trying to lean out and see what bit of the sky he can before the sun starts to set and turn it into shades of reddish orange that he _still_ can't see.

Well, apparently that's what he isn't seeing. And darker shades of blue, for some reason. The color of his older light blue jeans he can see,but the Levi's he just bought are still dark grey. He isn't sure what that means, if there's such a difference between "aqua" and "navy" that they can be called different colors entirely.

. . . 

"VIRGIL!!! VIRGIL OH MY GOD I THINK I MET ANOTHER ONE OF MY SOULMATES YOU NEED TO COME TO THE HAVA JAVA RIGHT NOW!!!"

"What- Pat slow down, c'mon panicking is my thing, remember-"

"PLEASE JUST COME HERE NOW HE WANTS TO LEAVE I NEED YOU TO MEET HIM-" 

"Jeez I can be there in 5. Just promise me you'll try and calm down? Don't do anything crazy?" 

"Yeah yeah sure just _get over here!!!_

. . . 

Virgil made it in 3 minutes. Anxiety on a mountain bike knows no logic, really. But he couldn't help but think Patton was misunderstanding something - if he'd just met one of his soulmates, why would said soulmate be trying to leave so urgently? Wasn't there a study about some chemical in the brain to make you _never_ want to leave your soulmate? 

"Pat? Where are-" 

"Vee! Over here!! Virgil!"

Patton was currently blocking some poor guy's exit from a booth. He looked like a teacher, honestly, but was way too short to be any older than him or Pat. Tie, glasses, Virgil wouldn't be surprised if there was a pocket protector on him somewhere.

" 'sup. Patton become your helicopter mom already or what? What's going on here?" 

"Virgil!! Virgile look at my shoulder!!"

Patton was pulling up the sleeve of his polo shirt to show another of his soulmarks. It looked different, somehow, but he couldn't tell how.

"...what?" 

"Oh right- uh it changed colors! It's like, royal blue now!

"So it happened when he bumped into you?"

"Yes!!! He's my soulmate, Vee!"

Teacher kid chose then to speak. 

"We don't know that! I don't have any soulmarks, so how do I know this isn't some- some scam? Just let me leave in peace, please!" 

Virgil had heard of soulmate scams before. It's kinda rare and super dumb, but people try to convince someone else that they're soulmates so they can find out where they live or get them to buy them stuff. It only works if the person doesn't have a soulmark, or just has a non-visible one, so most of them fail in the end.

"Hey uh, unless you actually have somewhere to be… maybe we could sit down and talk this out?"

"...let's make it quick."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Logan doesn't really want Patton's bs but here we are, eh?


	5. Roman

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry you'll find out how they convinced Logan to join discord I promise but this was Roman's chapter okay.

Despite what others may tell you, Roman doesn't actually care for parties. Well, not any more. When he was younger, he always fantasized about meeting his soulmates in a grand ball or gala; dancing until midnight like Cinderella, having his true love's kiss even if neither of them were asleep.. 

But every party, every sleepover or get-together just left him feeling a little more hopeless than the last time… He still enjoys planning them, though. Being a part of the student council meant he would have been helping plan the Fall Formal anyways, but he finds himself spending almost every free moment nowadays either buying decorations, making fliers, or coordinating a theme. 

Maybe he should take a little break… just 20 minutes on his phone or something to refresh his mind. 

. . . 

_"You set your discord app to light mode? Seriously?"_

_"So what? It's the same app. You know I don't like the dark."_

_"What dies that- nevermind. Just promise me you'll check out the server I mentioned. They're really good at talking about this stuff."_

_"Yeah yeah, I get it- 'stop acting all depressed about whether or not you'll meet your soulmates, Roman.' I'll talk to them."_

_"It's not just that, Ro! You're only 13 and you're letting your parents and the internet bully you into thinking that finding your soulmate is the only way to be happy or successful in life!"_

_"Oh come on, I don't think that! I just don't want to be the only person I know who doesn't find at least one of my soulmates! It's supposed to be the most magical kind of bond you could have - even if it isn't romantic."_

_"Sure, but you're always putting that ahead of everything else! When I ask you to come outside or go have fun somewhere you always seem to do it because you think you'll meet someone, not for yourself!"_

_"Em, c'mon don't say that-"_

. . .

20 minutes turns into 2 hours of venting to people he's never even see the faces of. NeverStoppedBeingEmo is always helpful if Roman's over thinking something, or (occasionally) not thinking enough, and PutUrPawsInTheAir is just endlessly positive and fun to talk to. 

They've both found their soulmates, or at least most of them as far as Roman can tell, but their advice is welcome all the same. One of the newcomers to the server, CleverNickName is fun as well. He seems to have a lot of self-esteem issues when it comes to soulmates, and honestly Roman can relate. 

**NeverStoppedBeingEmo:** Hey Kingsley not to intrude or anything but u remember that cosplay store you sent a pic of yesterday?

 **KingslyRoyal:** yeah y?

 **NeverStoppedBeingEmo:** I think I've seen it b4 are you in Az? Bot tryna be creepy I swear just think we might be in the same town.

 **KingsleyRoyal:** ….let me dm u.

Not that Roman _distrusts_ Emo or anything, but he's not saying where he lives in a server of 400+ people when he's only friends with 8 or 9 of them.

=This is the beginning of your direct message history with @NeverStoppedBeingEmo= 

**KingsleyRoyal:** yeah I'm in Az. You in Phoenix??

 **NeverStoppedBeingEmo:** me Paws and Clever yea. Paws was actually the one who mentioned the photo to me but his phone's dead. Wants to know if you wanna meet or smthn. 

**KingsleyRoyal:** lol how do I know you aren't all secretly murderers?? Next thing I know you send me pics of a clay effigy w/ my hair taped 2 it.

 **NeverStoppedBeingEmo:** Clever says that statistically only about 30 or 40 ppl in the us are active serial killers at any time. Also how do we know ur not a stalker or somethin either?

 **KingsleyRoyal:** fair enough. How about we just meet and we all agree that murdering waits until the third date? 

**NeverStoppedBeingEmo:** Of course, we're gentlemen after all


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's less that Logan likes to hang out with these dorks and more like it's impossible to say no to Patton... 
> 
> Also maybe Logan can recognize that, _objectively,_ they're both very cute.

It took a loooot of talking to convince Logan to even give them his number, but it was worth it!! Now they were all going to hangout this weekend at the park, because the weather is still warm but not like August hot anymore, and there's a ton of ducks in the lake!

Logan's still not very happy about the whole soulmates thing, but Patton's okay with taking it slow! They're probably only platonic soulmates anyway, because Patton is 1000000000% sure he's in love with Virgil. (He's totally gonna tell him soon - he just needs to make sure it'll be extra extra special!!)

While he and Virgil were waiting for Logan, they were talking online with some friends - Patton is actually kinda sad that his phone died, because Kingsley sounds like he could really use someone to talk to right now… but Virgil's talking for him, so it's ok!

"Salutations." 

"Oh, Logan! You're here!! C'mon, I brought some seeds _we have to go feed the ducks!!_ " 

"...at least you didn't choose bread, I suppose." 

"Oh I would never!!! You shouldn't feed bread to ducks at all, peas and seeds and actual birdseed are much better for them! I don't wanna make the lil guys sick!!"

. . . 

"Patton, why are you laying on the ground?"

"Lookin' at the sky, Logan! Me and Virge like to just… appreciate the little things sometimes, y'know? C'mon, lay with us!!"

"..." 

Small victories, Patton thought- Logan layed down on Patton's right, Virgil close on his left. There weren't a lot of clouds today, but enough that the blue wasn't too overwhelming. He likes to find shapes in them, but they're always moving a little bit at a time so one second there might be a cat, but by the time he could get Virgil to find it, it would look more like a slice of pizza. 

"Hey Pat, I found a ladybug. Wanna hold it?" 

"Yes yes yes please!!!!"

Virgil gently held his cupped hands up and transferred the lil friendo to Patton. They're so cute and tiny!!! 

"Oh! Logan, do you wanna see?"

Logan sat up, watching the ladybug crawl across Patton's fingers. 

"A female coccinellidae, by the looks of it. I wouldn't be surprised if she were on her way to the small patch of flowers to our north, to lay her eggs."

"Woahhh!! How did you know that??? Also what's a… whatever that word you just said was? A cocker spaniel??"

"...Coccinellidae. Commonly known as the ladybug in North America."

"Oh. Well do you wanna hold it?" 

"...I suppose." 

Maybe Patton left his hand on top of Logan's just a few seconds longer than it took for the ladybug to change hands, but… well Logan's hands were so soft?!? _How???_ It was like touching one of those shredded memory-foam pillows!!

…Eventually they had to go, it was just too windy and they'd been there for 2 hours. Though Patton was super excited for the next time they could do this!

"Hey Logan, you got some grass on your shirt-"

As Virgil brushed some lingering weeds and grass from the back of Logan's shirt, he suddenly paused and blinked kinda slowly. 

"I.. I could swear your tie was grey. Huh."

"It's oxford blue, and has been all day. Perhaps your misremembering."

"Yeah… but that's a pretty dark shade of…."

"Kiddo, you alright?"

"Patton, I can see the lake. Like - like in _color_. Patton, the lake was grey all day and now it's like your eyes but darker… do you think-" 

Patton gasped like a child that had been told everyday was Christmas forever. 

"Are we both Lo's soulmates!?!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At the end Virgil is thinking his normal anxious thoughts and mentions some upsetting and violent stuff, but only brief mentions. 
> 
> If you're sensitive to death or violence, maybe just dont read the last paragraph all the way through, huh?

Okay, yeah, maybe it was still weird to have even _one_ soulmate, and now he sees two of them on a regular basis. But, so far, it's also really really _nice_. 

He's found a passion in something he thought he'd never care for: art. Even just two shades of the same color seems to make the world so much richer… (or maybe it was just having Patton and Logan in his life now…?) He loved to take pictures in the local aquarium, of the sky and ponds and rivers. He'd thought his favorite color was black, for years- but staring into the shimmering blue eyes of his soulmates- (one, a bright and comforting baby blue, the other a deep and intelligent navy) he knew without a doubt that it was _blue_. 

. . . 

Virgil drags the tip of a colored pencil around his paper, coloring a project only recently outlined. _Light green next… not the lime, lighter than that…_

"Hello Virgil. May I ask what you're working on?" 

Virgil jumped, but made sure he didn't jerk his utensil across the page. He would **not** ruin this one, no matter how fast his heart was still beating. 

"My apologies, I-"

"It's fine, Logan, you just startled me. And… I'm just coloring something. You can't see it yet."

"Understandable… you mentioned we would be meeting Kingsley this weekend?"

It had taken a lot of discussion and planning, but he and Kingsley (who's name was apparently Roman) had set a day for them all to meet for coffee. Apparently the guy was busy with planning a school event and wouldn't have much time until after it happened, which was Thursday. So they agreed to meet the following Sunday, where neither of them had any real plans.

"Yeah, Sunday. We're going to the Hava Java. Said he would wear his brightest red hoodie, so you guys are gonna have to spot him for me." He chuckled. The one color he can't see, but he didn't have the courage to tell Kingsley - well, Roman - that.

It was a simple meeting between friends that _probably_ aren't murderers. Sure, they could get in a wreck, or get poisoned by something slipped into their coffee, or he might trip in the middle of the shop and embarrassing himself in front of Roman and make they guy hate him forever - 

But other than that, what could go wrong?

( _meteors, terrorist attacks, becoming a social outcast, choking on a doughnut-)_


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *A LOT OF UNHEALTHY THINKING, LOGAN DOESN'T REALLY KNOW WHAT A GOOD RELATIONSHIP IS SUPPOSED TO BE, I PROMISE THAT REMUS ISN'T ACTUALLY BAD OR ANYTHING IN THIS FIC IT'S JUST THAT LOGAN IS VERY JELLY.*

Logan's been spending more and more time with his newly found ~~soulmates~~ friends lately, and he's worried now that he might have offended Nathan. Text and phone conversations between them had grown exceedingly brief, and their face-to-face interactions much more one-sided. Then again, Nathan was never particularly vocal, but he would always act attentive and make small gestures or comments to show he was engaged and interested in what Logan had to say. 

Despite him having yet to tell Nathan of his new ~~soulmates~~ friends, he felt that his best friend somehow knew anyways, and was feeling betrayed. Neither of them said a thing… until Friday. 

It was just a day after the fall dance that Logan ~~had desperately wanted to take Nathan to~~ wasn't very invested in, but heard there had been an accident with some chandeliers, leaving two students in the hospital. He's certainly glad he hadn't attended, lest he or Nathan had fallen victim to faulty construction.

It was now lunch, and Logan was debating whether he should head back inside to try and find Nathan, or simply wall to where he knew Virgil and Patton would now be lying in the grass, talking about the sky. And then he saw - Nathan. Sitting under a tree ( ~~ _is that where he'd been this past week, avoiding Logan?_~~ ) with another boy Logan had never seen before. 

They were laughing, and sitting… awfully close. Pressed together like books in an over  
-packed shelf. And then he saw why - they were pressing their faces together, where two nearly identical Mark's stood stark and bright against their skin. One, a bright and familiar green, covering the left half of his ~~only love~~ best friend, and the other a sickly yellow, covering the right half of an unfamiliar (and in Logan's mind, not nearly as perfect, in fact in comparison to Nathan's is was quite ugly) face. With a… handlebar mustache drawn in marker?

…oh. He'd found his soulmate. No wonder he was ~~abandoning Logan~~ so preoccupied lately. Logan and Nathan share many classes, and he'd never seen this boy before, so it must have been painful for Nathan to be away from his soulmate for so much of the day. He'd simply been ~~angry that Logan was taking up so much of his time~~ lonely and feeling the effects of being separated from his other half, if only for a few hours.

He wasn't trying to hurt Logan's feelings, surely. It's not Nathan's fault that such an unworthy soul had been chosen to be by his side for the rest of their lives. It isn't Nathan's fault that that boy was, obviously, so awful and not right for him. Objectively, of course, no one could compare to Nathan, could love and appreciate him enough. Not even Logan, (though he was 98.5% sure he would still be better than whoever _that boy_ was) and it isn't, or ever would be Nathan's fault. 

The blame all landed entirely on Logan, for abandoning Nathan for some friends he'd barely met. 

…he would eat lunch alone today. It's what he deserves, afterall.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has some Remus content after the bolded warning.

Roman doesn't regret a lot of things in life. Really, he doesn't. 

Not catching himself in time when he fell out of that tree? Yeah. Letting Remus bully him into taking the bottom bunk? Also yes. Eating a can of fruit 8 days past its expiration date on a dare? For sure. But that's about it.

Oh. And this now, too. 

Choosing real, metal chandeliers to hang from the rafters so as to match the aesthetic of the fall formal's 'royalty' theme. 

Yeah, it had seemed like a good idea all the way until one had fallen on someone and himself. Well… hindsight is 20/20, and all that.  
Thankfully, he only had his right leg to worry about. Not so thankfully, the guy he'd been dancing with might have less great odds.

Now seems like a great time for a nap, he decided. All this stress was really wearing him out. He would just lie back, and wait for someone hot to carry him bridal style to his rescue. 

. . . 

Okay. Less pain now, definitely. His… everything still feels sore and _very_ tired, but it wasn’t the sharp pain of a chandelier taking a nap on top of him. Looking around, he was a little upset to see some things sticking into him, and it was pretty difficult to move. He wanted to call somebody - anyone, really, because it was so quiet - well there _was_ sound, but not nearly enough to fill a room. Quiet places suck because that means no one is _talking,_ which means that no one is _listening_.

...where’s his phone? He needs to talk to someone. He wants to hear his dumbass brother rant about his soulmate with the creepy obsession with snakes. He wants to hear his friends make stupid jokes and laugh with him about being crushed by his _own_ decorations.

He really doesn't care what they end up saying, because right now Roman just really doesn't want to be alone. 

**Remus content warning, general violence and gross things**

Okay, nevermind. He does _not_ want to hear about his brother's soulmate, at all. Or about how Remus has watched him feed _whole, live rats_ to some large, scaled danger noodles. Or how Remus got punched by "some hot bitch with glasses." Or really anything gross or violent going on in his twin's life. 

"-and then I told him that it's really better to fuck me in an ally before we get into roleplay fighting-"

" _Remus,_ Roman needs to relax and rest in order to get better, do you think we could change the subject?"

" _Thank you, mo-_ "

"Sure! Wanna see the video I got of Nate's snake babies eating raw eggs whole?!?!? Oh, and mom, we need more eggs because now I have to deep throat them to assert my dominance in front of Nate's snake family-" 

…Truly a hopeless endeavor to shut Remus up when he was already up and going.

Not that that would make Roman love his brother any less, he just _really_ wishes that he had a mallet with him.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan is a JEALOUS boy.

Virgil loves cancelling plans, most of the time. Just getting to relax at home instead of going to some social gathering or activity… but he doesn't really like it when people cancel important plans on _him_. Yeah yeah, call him a hypocrite or whatever.

Not that he could exactly blame Kingsley- the guy was in the hospital and wouldn't be out until a few days after they'd set to meet. He'd even sent a few selfies, mostly of him frowning suspiciously at someone barely in the frame, and when they talked over the phone, there was definitely some mechanical noises in the background. Virgil might have been rude to ask for proof, but he also couldn't even count the number of times he'd told someone he was in the hospital or visiting someone there to get out of doing something. Roman had understood perfectly and was pretty eager to tell the whole story. 

…Not like grievous bodily harm was funny, (most of the time) but someone getting crushed by their own crappy decorations is definitely something he wished he had video of. Well. Probably not, but you get the point.

Patton was pretty upset about having to cancel their plans, but suggested that they all just go see Roman in the hospital instead. Not the worst idea, but not really Virgil's favorite way to spend his weekend either. Hospitals are too… clean. He feels dirty every second he's inside, a crumb on an otherwise pristine plate.

"So what, you guys just want to come and see me be miserable and meet my awful brother?"

"I mean, that's not what we meant but sure. Pat just wants to see you and I don't think Logan wants to be alone right now. Weird, I know, but if it's okay we'll see you the same time on Saturday?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure. Just be prepared for essentially a colony of rats in human clothes, Remus hasn't left my side since he first got here basically." 

"I get it, you hate your brother, I know I'm a single child and all but I really don't get why everyone seems not to get along with their siblings…"

. . .

"Roman!!! Oh my goodness, you're all bandaged up- I'm so sorry this is how we have to meet the first time…"

"...Okay, you _have_ to be Patton, right? Paws? And the tall one is literally wearing an MCR shirt so that's gotta be Virgil-"

"Yeah yeah, I think we can skip introductions, _Kingsley_."

Honestly, Patton was right to freak out a little. Roman was basically a mummy from the neck down… must have been pretty painful. Probably still is. Should he say something… nicer? Him saying sorry might be the last thing Roman wants to hear by now, though-

"OH!!! It's you! The nerd that punched my face!! It's great to see you again, how about that back alley fuck huh-"

"...Virgil. Please physically restrain me before I give that moron another reason to be sitting in a hospital."

Virgil both had no idea why Logan was so pissed as Roman's twin, and no real desire to restrain anybody, but he did put his hand on Logan's shoulder just in case. He wouldn't be able to stop a fight, but maybe Logan was just looking for somebody to tell him getting into a fight would be stupid.

"Lo! You should fight people, or call them stupid- I'm sure that whatever Remus did can be settled with an apology, right?"

"Oh that's the thing, sunshine! Nerdy little boxing gloves here and I have never even met before! I think he just wanted to punch me in the face because he's jealous!"

"Preposterous. What would I be jealous of in a C average student with a disciplinary file the length of the bible?"

"I dunno. Cause I'm hot? I have a cute boyfriend-"

The amount of force with which Logan moved forward felt like it could tear Virgil's arm out of his socket. Luckily, he _was_ able to hold him back a little, muscles tensing quickly on reflex. After about a minute of no one really talking, Virgil almost forgot that Roman was there…

"...Logan, if you have beef with my bro, you're gonna have to step into the back of a _very_ long line. You already gave him a pretty impressive shiner, so I don't know what the hell else you want, but maybe it's better if you come back later when he isn't here." 

"That sounds… like a much better idea. I'll be going then - Patton, you don't have to come with."

That probably wouldn't have stopped Patton from following after somebody normally, but… well, Virgil isn't the only one who knows how to read a room, and if anything Patton is far superior. He knows when people _want_ to be left alone, and when they _need_ to be.

"Okay. Be safe, Lo." 

"I've never fallen off of a bicycle because I saw a stray feline, I think I'll be fine." 

…They didn't stay more than an hour.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: just let them touch already so they can find out they're soulmates 
> 
> Also me: make them fight until they hate eachother forever.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A slice of Nathan's feelings on things thus far. I mostly just couldn't think of a way to make Patton's chapter longer, but I also didn't want anyone jumping to conclusions about why Nathan has said or done anything so far. I hope this at least clears some things up, if it doesn't exactly make anyone feel better.

It's not that Patton isn't always grateful to make new friends - because really, Roman is great and his brother Remus is at least… trying. Probably. But it's really hard to watch your friends not get along, to have to go back and forth between them made Patton feel… dirty. Like he was somehow betraying everyone at once.

He would still spend his school days with Logan and Virgil, steadily building their shared relationship and having a lot of fun doing so. Then on the weekends, if there weren't already plans, he or Virgil would spend some time with Roman. (Patton loves Virgil so much, he will never stop being thankful for the littlest things, like how he and Virgil didn't even gave to say anything to know neither of them wanted to leave Logan by himself.)

As much as Patton didn't want to pry, he knew that eventually Logan and Remus would have to try and settle their differences - and for that to happen, he needed to understand what those differences were. Because in all likelihood, someone was gonna have to convince them both to give it a shot. So far, Remus didn't seem particularly upset, even laughing at the situation most of the time - but Roman was adamant that Logan give some sort of apology for decking his brother out of nowhere. So Patton tried his best to understand Logan's feelings on the matter, but so far all he got was that it had something to do with his best friend being Remus's soulmate. 

Logan being jealous, as Remus had casually suggested many times, did seem to fit the bill, but for some reason.. Patton just couldn't believe that was all there was to it. Logan wouldn't become so… violent over a little jealousy. At the very least, there were some slightly stronger feelings behind all of this. 

"Well, when was the last time you saw Logan hanging out with his supposed 'best friend'? Maybe the guy's been so distracted with his new soulmate and boyfriend, that Lo feels abandoned. I can't be the only one with separation anxiety."

"...Maybe, Vee. I just wish I could hear it from Logan himself. If so, that's an awful feeling to have and I can imagine it might make him act out a bit…" 

"Why don't we just go ask Remus if we can meet his boyfriend? He brags about Nate all the time. Then we can ask him if he and Logan still hang out at all."

"Yeah! You know what, I'll text him now and ask if we can do something this weekend. You can have another Buzzfeed Unsolved marathon with Lo and I'll send you the deets!"

"Patton, I love you, so so much, but please never ever say the word deets again or I will throw myself out a window."

"Aw, c'mon Vee! You know you think my slang is _deets_ lightful!!!"

"I'm filing for divorce. I'll take the car and the dog." 

**Chapter 11.5:**

Nathan understands that everyone has a soulmate, and that everyone loves their soulmate in one way or another. He also understands the point of soulmarks, and why so many people take pride in them; it's something that makes you feel like you fit in - like you can be confident in your being every day because you aren't technically alone. 

But, he doesn't understand why that means you aren't supposed to love other people in the same way. If today he were to meet a handsome and kind man on the streets, (perhaps one with scrawls of pink text on his neck, detailing the first words his soulmate would ever speak to him,) and they got along like a house on fire, that would be _just great. What a wonderful friend he sounds like! Too bad you've already met your romantic soulmate, or I'd think you two were just meant to be!_

Why wouldn't they be meant to be? His mother made it sound like you _couldn't_ date someone, if you already had a soulmate for a boyfriend. He can name at least a dozen kids who've met their platonic soulmate and dated someone without a mark to match theirs. Sure, they didn't have a destined romantic partner, but what does _that_ matter?

(Nathan would not remark, even to himself, that this situation wasn't so hypothetical.)

Nathan understands, now, that his opinion on these things doesn't really matter. When you're outvoted, you're outvoted. Such is the way of the democracy.

Nathan also understands now, that if _he_ can't have what he wants, cannot take what is presented to him, than at least he can exert his power to make sure no one else can have what they want, either. 

It's not like he hates Logan Croft. Quite the opposite, actually; he loves Logan like a brother, and at this point they might as well be. But, like a petty younger brother who destroys game systems and collectable cards and expensive toys so that their siblings cannot have it, he can't resist the temptation to make everyone else suffer with him. Besides, he doesn't want to date Logan anyways. What's the loss, here?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you guys think? Should Istart labeling these chapters with who's pov it will be? I do in my drafts but idk how you guys feel about it.
> 
> (Also! I'm deeply considering something,,, if any of you came here from "No Sleep for the Saints down below" how would you feel about some small bonus chapters similar to what I've done for TFANSIS? Just a thought.)


End file.
